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Dominican Republic, Caribbean

Homosexuality in the Dominican Republic is legal, by national law. The age of consent is equalized regardless of sexual orientation to 18. Even though it is legal, there is still major discrimination against LGBT members of the society. This is mainly due to the strict Catholic status of the country. Although homosexuality is not generally accepted, hate crimes are rare as they are prosecutable under Dominican law. In the summer of 2006, several gay clubs and bars in the capital Santo Domingo were shut down. However, the case came in front of a local judge who ruled the closing as unlawful due to the policies of no-discrimination. Homosexuality is not illegal in the Dominican Republic, and terms referring to the disintegration of the moral good have been removed from legal documents, but protection for those in the GLBT community is still basically non-existent. The lack of rights and legal protection can lead one to believe that they are a separate, but not equal part of society. Requests for permission to march and assemble as a group have been denied, and the public outcry over homosexuality, and its believed corruption and endangerment of the youth, is still a hot button issue.

Shortly after taking up his post as American ambassador to the Dominican Republic in November 2013, Wally Brewster got a bit of unsolicited advice from the Vatican’s envoy to the Caribbean nation. “If you keep your private life behind the walls of your embassy, you’ll be O.K. here,” Nuncio Jude Thaddeus Okolo told Mr. Brewster.… Read more »

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (AP) — Deivis Ventura is still just a candidate for the Dominican Republic’s Chamber of Deputies, but he feels like he’s already scored a victory. The 42-year-old former private school teacher, the first openly gay person to run for his country’s Congress, is delighted his campaign has not encountered overt hostility… Read more »

Deivis Ventura is still just a candidate for the Dominican Republic’s Chamber of Deputies, but he feels like he’s already scored a victory. The 42-year-old former private school teacher, the first openly gay person to run for his country’s Congress, is delighted his campaign has not encountered overt hostility as it likely would have in… Read more »

Conservative groups in the Dominican Republic have called for the US ambassador to resign after taking his husband to a local school. The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Dominican Republic attacked Wally Brewster in a statement issued this week. “Mr. Brewster approaches our children in public and private schools, in sports tournaments, and other youth… Read more »

Santo Domoingo, Dominican Republic (AP) — The Dominican Republic says it will not recognize a same-sex marriage performed for the first time in the conservative Caribbean country. In a Thursday statement, Foreign Ministry spokesman Miguel Medina said “our legislation does not recognize this type of marriage.” The statement comes two days after the British embassy… Read more »

A gay male couple tied the knot Wednesday at the British Embassy in the Dominican Republic, making them the first same-sex couple to marry in the Caribbean. The embassy announced the marriage on its official Twitter account. “First #SameSexWedding in @ukindomrep and in the #Caribbean between British and Dominican national @UkinCaribbean,” the embassy messaged its… Read more »

A pride procession through town caused a welcome break from daily life, bringing out families into the streets to celebrate LGBT pride Thousands of people participated in this year’s Gay Pride procession in the Dominican Republic on 13 July. The Gay Pride festivities in the Caribbean island (between Haiti and Puerto Rico) re-launched in 2007… Read more »

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (AP) — Religious groups in the Dominican Republic said Friday they are outraged by the nomination of a gay U.S. ambassador to the conservative Caribbean country. James ‘‘Wally’’ Brewster would be the seventh U.S. ambassador in history to be openly gay, but opponents are asking the administration of Dominican President Danilo… Read more »

[Updated Post as of 7/5/12: For the latest, go to the bottom] The number of LGBT pride month marches, rallies and events taking place in throughout Latin America to coincide with the anniversary of the the Stonewall riots of 1969 in New York City has grown exponentially each year making it difficult to keep a… Read more »